In compliance with a directive by the Union Home Ministry in the aftermath of the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Karnataka has stepped up vigil across the state and also security for foreign tourists, Karnataka Home Minister R Ashoka said today.
Security has been upscaled in places where tourists from USA and Europe throng the state particularly in coastal areas of the state, he told reporters in Bangalore. The Centre has directed the state also to keep vigil on regions which house IT industries and also those thickly populated to prevent any terror strike, Ashoka said.
The Centre has issued an alert to maintain vigil and security in the coming one year, he said. The state has decided to set up a police station each for every 30 kms stretch on its 360 km coastline to maintain vigilance and the expenditure was being borne by the Centre, he said. Six such police stations would be established soon and the remaining in phases within this year, Ashoka said.
The state had already raised a 300-member strong commando battallion for deployment during exigencies including terror and naxal strike, he said. The CRPF has decided to start a training centre in Belgaum for which the state has agreed to provide 400 acres of land, he said.
It has been formed along the lines of National Security Guards (NSG) to combat terror and other key security challenges. “We are looking for a place near Anekal to start the elite unit,” the minister added.
Ashoka said the new force will be given commando training and taught how to use sophisticated weaponry to deal with terrorist attacks, handle hostage situations and protect the state’s vital installations. “State police are not equipped to handle such crises. In case of a terror attack, we need to deploy trained men with sophisticated weapons as the first mode of response. Apart from fresh recruits, the best police personnel will be part of the force,” he added.
Replying to a question, he said the Naxalite menace has reduced in the state and efforts were on to totally eliminate them.
